By Stephanie Johnston
Across the country, correctional agencies are facing a common challenge: finding and retaining qualified staff.
Staffing shortages, increased competition for talent, changing workforce expectations and a growing number of retirements have forced agencies to rethink traditional recruitment strategies. Many departments continue to focus their efforts on attracting candidates who are already eligible to apply, but what if the recruitment process started years earlier?
That question led the Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) to develop one of the first correctional workforce pipeline programs of its kind.
Looking beyond traditional recruitment
Like many agencies, ODOC found itself competing for the same limited pool of applicants. Recruitment events, job fairs, advertising campaigns and referral programs remained important tools, but they largely targeted individuals who had already chosen a career path.
At the same time, ODOC recruiters were spending time in local schools through workforce development and community outreach efforts. Conversations with students revealed a common theme: many had little understanding of what a career in corrections actually looked like.
For some students, corrections simply wasn’t on their radar.
That realization sparked an important question: Could corrections agencies build stronger recruitment pipelines by engaging future employees before they are eligible to apply?
Building a workforce pipeline
Working alongside Principal Rhonda Rhodes and the Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) Law Enforcement Program in Salem, Oregon, ODOC recruiters Cynthia Rodriguez and Stephanie Johnston began exploring what a correctional cadet program might look like.
The goal wasn’t to recruit students immediately. The goal was exposure.
Students would learn about correctional careers, interact with staff, experience training environments and gain a realistic understanding of the profession long before making career decisions.
With support from ODOC’s Professional Development Unit, including Russ Ellis and Chris Mortensen, the agency launched its inaugural Cadet Program.
What students actually learned
One lesson became apparent quickly: students were most engaged when they could experience corrections firsthand.
Over the course of the year, cadets participated in training on:
- Dynamic security
- Trauma-informed practices
- Use-of-force applications
- Defensive tactics
- Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVOC)
- Security Threat Management (STM)
- Special Investigations Unit (SIU) operations
- Search procedures
- Report writing and documentation
Rather than focusing exclusively on custody and control, the curriculum emphasized communication, professionalism, decision-making, accountability and rehabilitation.
Many students entered the program with assumptions about correctional work. By the end, they had a much broader understanding of the profession and the diverse opportunities available within corrections.
What surprised us
One of the biggest surprises was how quickly students connected with correctional staff. When students interacted directly with officers, investigators, trainers, behavioral health professionals and leaders, their perception of corrections changed. The profession became personal. They were no longer learning about a system; they were learning from people.
Another surprise was how valuable student feedback became. Cadets frequently asked questions that challenged staff to think differently about how corrections is perceived by younger generations. Those conversations proved just as valuable for the agency as they were for the students.
Lessons learned
While the program exceeded expectations, it also revealed important lessons.
First, partnerships matter. The success of the program depended heavily on collaboration among schools, recruiters, training staff, institutional staff and leadership.
Second, hands-on experiences consistently generated the highest levels of engagement. Students remembered scenarios, demonstrations and direct interactions with staff far more than classroom presentations.
Third, leadership involvement mattered. When students saw agency leaders investing time in the program, it reinforced the importance of the work and the legitimacy of the opportunity.
If the program were launched again, organizers would likely incorporate additional mentorship opportunities earlier in the process and create more structured opportunities for students to interact with correctional professionals from a variety of career paths.
Can workforce pipeline programs actually help?
One year of experience cannot solve a nationwide staffing crisis. However, programs like this may help agencies address several workforce challenges simultaneously.
Students gain realistic job previews before applying. Agencies build awareness among future applicants. Potential employees enter the hiring process with a clearer understanding of expectations. Perhaps most importantly, agencies create relationships before vacancies exist.
In many professions, including healthcare, education and law enforcement, early engagement has become a critical workforce strategy. Corrections may benefit from adopting a similar mindset.
Takeaways for other agencies
For agencies interested in developing similar programs, several principles stand out:
- Start with educational partners.
- Focus on exposure rather than recruitment.
- Provide hands-on experiences whenever possible.
- Involve operational staff.
- Secure leadership support early.
- View the effort as a long-term workforce investment.
The staffing challenges facing corrections will not disappear overnight. There is no single solution. But Oregon’s experience suggests that one potential answer may be sitting in today’s classrooms.
If agencies want to strengthen tomorrow’s workforce, they may need to start building relationships with future employees long before those employees are old enough to apply.
About the author
Stephanie Johnston serves with the Employee Services – Recruitment Unit for the State of Oregon, Department of Corrections.